1914 - 2009

Elijah Conard Massey

This is a picture I took of my sweet Grandaddy Conard in 2003 at his farm in Dudley, NC. He passed away at 1:30 this morning in hospice care. He would have been 95 next month.

He was a man of faith, who constantly had a bible at his side. He was Quaker and taught me a lot about being quiet and listening for the Lord. His faith was simple, pure and unwavering. He never let things that happened in this world affect how he viewed what God has promised us in the next. He worked hard as a farmer most of his life. He loved my Grandmother Ruby with his whole heart. When she battled Alzheimer's for years, he stood, unwavering by her side and made trips twice daily to her assisted living center to feed his "sweetheart".

He always had the ability to crack one liners that were funny at the core, but also caught you off guard. He always would ask me "How's my Emily?" and then really listen to what I had to say. While I'm sad he won't be at our wedding, I am so glad that he met Alan a few times and I got to hear him say "You've got you a right nice young man there," and to know that Grandaddy thought well of him.

Last time I saw him, he told me he was ready. He said he had led a great life, had a great wife, great kids and, as far as he could tell, had great grandkids. He had done everything he wanted and needed and was ready to be with Grandmom again. There is no doubt in my mind that heaven just got another angel.

He was greatly loved and he will be greatly missed.

I know I haven't given a Ned update since Sunday - and I certainly don't want to forget to mention little man. He is still in Pediatric Intensive Care at Levine Children's Hospital. He has developed pneumonia and has had a rough few days in terms of managing his blood pressure. The last day or so has been a little more stable and the doctors keep indicating that it is just going to take time. So please, continue to pray for Ned's healing and for Betsy, Travis and Jack for their comfort and strength during this process. Also, Betsy has updated her blog which is in my blog list to the right. That might be another place you can continue to check on over the next few days.

I also just realized that both Ned and Grandaddy have the same first name, Elijah, and they both are called by their middle names...which seems exactly right. I can't help but think that Grandaddy just passed his torch to Ned, and is now Ned's own personal angel up there.

"Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. Now we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands. Meanwhile we groan, longing to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling, because when we are clothed, we will not be found naked. For while we are in this tent, we groan and are burdened, because we do not wish to be unclothed but to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. Now it is God who has made us for this very purpose and has given us the Spirit as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.Therefore we are always confident and know that as long as we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord. We live by faith, not by sight. We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord."

~2 Corinthians 4:16-15:8 KJV